Romeo and Juliet, arguably Shakespeare's most
famous play, begins with a Prologue explaining that
the children of two feuding families, Romeo of the Montague
family and Juliet of the Capulet family, will both love
and die in the course of this play... Sampson and Gregory,
servants to the Capulets and Abraham and Balthasar,
servants to the Montagues, start a street fight, which
is joined by Benvolio (Montague) and Tybalt (Capulet).
Escalus, the Prince of Verona declares a death penalty
for further feuding between the two families... Meanwhile
Capulet (Juliet's father) is keen for Paris to marry
his daughter and plans a party, Romeo and friends deciding
to turn up uninvited... At the Capulet party, Romeo
disguised by a mask, falls in love with Juliet, both
quickly learning that they are the enemies of each other's
family...

Ignoring the danger, Romeo scales the Capulet's wall
to be near Juliet and hidden in her orchard, learns
Juliet loves him, the two deciding to marry. Friar Laurence
agrees to marry the two lovers since he hopes this will
end the long running Montague / Capulet feud... The
wedding is set for later that day. The Nurse brings
Romeo ropes, allowing him to climb into his lover's
bedchamber as her husband later that night... The two
lovers marry... Benvolio and Mercutio (Montague) meet
Tybalt (Capulet). Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo then
killing Tybalt and becoming banished from Verona. Juliet
learns of Tybalt's death, mourning her husband's banishment,
her husband mourning that he will not be able to see
his wife again... Capulet, unaware of the marriage,
decides that his daughter should marry Paris on Thursday.
The two lovers spend the night together. Juliet, learning
that she is to marry Paris, tries to fight her father's
wishes, failing. She decides to commit suicide if all
else fails...

Friar Laurence tells Juliet to take a potion simulating
death, allowing her to live with her husband unopposed
in Mantua since everyone will think she is dead. Hearing
that his daughter no longer opposes the wedding, Capulet,
decides to move the wedding forward. It will now be
on Wednesday... Juliet takes the potion, worrying about
the Friar's intentions before the potion takes effect
and she falls asleep... Capulet, hearing Paris' arrival,
tells the Nurse to wake his daughter, discovering she
is dead. The wedding preparations are changed to those
of a funeral... In Mantua, Romeo learning of his wife's
death, decides to risk his life by returning to Verona
to see her one last time. He also buys some poison...
Friar Laurence's letter, telling Romeo that his wife
is not dead does not reach him. Friar Laurence heads
off to the Capulet burial chamber where Juliet will
soon awake. Paris mourns his bride that never was. Romeo
arrives, opening his lover's coffin to look at her one
last time, Paris then attacking him, believing he is
desecrating Juliet's grave...

Romeo kills Paris, placing him beside his wife and
then takes his poison, kissing his wife, then dying.
Friar Laurence arrives too late to stop the suicide.
Juliet, now awake, asks for her husband... Now alone,
she kisses her husband and stabs herself, dying. Escalus,
the Capulets and the Montagues arrive, Balthasar and
Friar Laurence explaining all. Escalus scolds the two
families who finally end their feud. The play ends with
the Prince summarising this tragic love story.